Everything recreational cannabis, pot, or weed in Portland.

October is flying by so quickly that it’s hard to believe things were so different two weeks ago. By now you’ve probably seen the good news: that the recreational sales topped 11 million. Even TIME recognized the success. In her article, Tessa Berenson gives us a bit of perspective: on the first day alone, Oregon made 3.2 million dollars. Colorado made 5 million in the first week, and it took Washington, good ol’ Washington, a month just to break 2 million. In short? Oregon is awesome. It’s up to us to show the rest of the states what this revenue will mean for the good of the communities and state as a whole.

While this is still the honeymoon phase, not even two weeks in, taxes are not to begin until January. We can bask in the glory of recreational weed for a good two and a half months before reality comes crashing down on us. But it’ll be a good reality. No one wants to pay the tax, but that’s where the biggest evidence of change will come. What we bring in from the taxes will go back into the institutions that Oregon selected as the beneficiaries of recreational weed money – the Oregon Common School Fund and the Mental Health, Alcoholism, and Drug Services Account.

Overall, sales are important to the good of this industry. It isn’t just the dispensaries that are experiencing an influx of revenue, either. While recreational marijuana speaks to where the future of the cannabis industry is going, it’ll be interesting to see the cannabis subcultures become more mainstream. For one, glassblowing and functional glass art are becoming subjects of interest for more than just the hardcore heady collectors out there. With events like the Third Eye Shoppe’s and Mary Jane’s House of Glass’ October 1st celebrations, it’s obvious that the two industries are embracing the link between them. On October 10th, Green Light District, a headshop off of Pacific Highway in SW, had its 5 year anniversary party. Attendance was through the roof, and it was apparent that while a lot of attendees had been GLD loyals, there were newcomers outside of any stereotyped stoner demographic.

For the celebration, Green Light District had beer, pizza, a photobooth, and, of course, live glassblowing. Local artists Scott Moan and Don Chile Ortega were at the torches safe from the pouring rain on Saturday night. The inside of the store was packed with people there for the raffles, giveaways, and games going on. With five amazing raffle prizes to win, like glass from the aforementioned talented Scott Moan and Portland artist Liberty503, the crowd was huge and varied. It was a lot of fun, despite my coming home empty handed. The team at Green Light District did a good job in keeping up this October momentum. Let’s hope it continues as we move on with the rest of the month and get closer and closer to recreational taxation…

With October 1st behind us, you’re probably just starting to emerge from the fully recreational haze. How does it feel? Like we’re living in the future, man? It’s kind of insane to think about! Recreational weed is here, and Portland is knee-deep in it.

I myself partaked in a couple of celebrations. First, I went to The Third Eye Shoppe’s celebration on Hawthorne. It was freaking awesome. With at least 9 torches and glassblowers at work, the rest were mingling and chatting with the crowd. As a glass enthusiast, I was elated. I enjoyed seeing John Dillinger, Lea Luna Littleleaf, Renee Patula, and Goliath Glass glassblowing up close and personal, and ended up getting a chance to fangirl all over Renee Patula and Jamie Burress. It was a fantastic event – made better by vendors like EO vapes and Sconed, bakers of edibles in the Portland area. EO Vapes hooked it up with a glass vape pen bubbler attachment (seriously awesome), and Sconed was gifting out free samples of recreational toffee and other sweet treats. The milligram measurement wasn’t anything crazy, my own sample ranged in at only 10mg, but it tasted so good. The taste of weed was barely noticeable, but it was super yummy.

With all the glassblowing excitement, I had almost forgotten what the day was really about. Natural Wonders, the nearest dispensary, was across the street and down a block. My friend and I walked the few minutes to the dispensary and were surprised to find only one other person in the waiting room. The process was smooth. The receptionist took our licenses and made photocopies for their files. There were beautiful marijuana photographs lining the walls of the waiting room, as well as nice house plants and bright lighting to spruce up the room. It was really pleasant! Once someone left, we were allowed into the actual shop. Two budtenders were there to assist us in showing us the array of flower options. One budtender was there to assist with concentrates and other menu items for medical patients.

The options were tiered in three rows: $8, $10, and $12 grams. I myself bought a gram of the strain Headband. They gave me a pre-weighed vial and a flyer for not letting it near your children. All in all, the experience was extremely professional, and the weed itself was not top shelf but I’d say better than expected! We returned to the Third Eye and enjoyed some more glassblowing before I moved on to Mary Jane’s House of Glass at NE 33rd and Killingsworth.

NE 33rd and Killingsworth boasts both Mary Jane’s and Uplift Botanicals, a high-class dispensary in the area. When I first arrived, I saw a booth set up outside the dispensary with a Mary Jane’s clerk. He was advertising for the scavenger hunt that Mary Jane’s was throwing, but also was equipped with ice cream sandwiches, Uplift’s menu, and a great attitude. He pointed myself and others in the direction of the headshop, which I checked out briefly before returning to Uplift. While I wasn’t in the market for glass, it’s always fun to see what new things they’ve got in stock over there.

It was a good thing I returned to Uplift when I did, however, because unlike Natural Wonders, this place was packed. When I first walked in, the receptionist took my name and birthdate from my license on a legal pad. The order in which we were let in depended on when you showed up, but because of the shear volume of people, they moved on quickly if you weren’t there to hear your name called. I wasn’t there for long when the amount of people seemed to double. By the time I got in the actual shop, the line was a cluster of people outside the door. I felt bad for the receptionist, who was being overwhelmed by so many people. Inside was far calmer and more casual, however. I looked at the updated menu, as they had sold out of some of their strains, and they had only $10 grams listed. When my gram of the strain J1 rang up as $8, however, they called it at that and I tipped them the remaining $2. Think of it this way, if budtenders are like bartenders, you should always tip if they go above and beyond in service.

In terms of the bud itself, I preferred the Headband to the J1, but both were quality middle tier flowers, I would say. It’s hard to believe it already happened, that I was able to buy weed, take it home, and legally smoke it, but it’s real. We’re here now, and yes, the weed is untaxed! So go out, take out some cash, and find your favorite neighborhood pot shop!

Just days away, October’s magic is in the air! Twenty-one year olds and up will be able to walk into designated dispensaries and buy clones, seeds, and up to a quarter ounce of flower. It’s seriously about to happen – just months after legalization and before a single recreational store opens. Thank you Oregon! In this, you’ve been a bro. I think it’s most definitely safe to assume it will be tax-free until January 4th, so enjoy that, too. Seriously! Get stoked!

With all this hubbub and excitement, recreational users are still sort of in the dark about recreational and where to find it. The dispensaries that mentioned anything on their Leafly can be found here, but other than that, there’s no specific way to find which ones we’re allowed in. Except, maybe, going door-to-door and finding rejection or success every which way. There are enough dispensaries in Portland that you could feasibly do something of a bike tour just to find your recreational weed. It won’t take too long to find, I’m sure – most dispensaries will open to take advantage of the naive recreational buyers – but it may still be a bit of a wild-goose chase for us this first month. And a fun one at that.

Be on the look-out for local events that pop up on the first. It’s hard to find anything with details online, but Mary Jane’s House of Glass will be celebrating, at the very least at its Tualatin location. There you’ll find games and contests, live glassblowing, and more. Everything is advertised on flyers, so if you don’t see one, swing by your local shop just in case! (If you bring a non-perishable food item, or are a patient already, you receive a discount at the store).

The quintessential Portland head shop, “Third Eye Shoppe,” (famous for being founded by hemp God Jack Herer) will also be hosting glassblowers on the first, and some bonus giveaways. A total of 16 glassblowers are scheduled to be there, huge names and stores in the PNW like Trautman Art Glass and Jason Walker Glass Art. Not to mention, apparently most of the store will be around 25% off. October 1st is, after all, definitely a reason to celebrate! They’re near dispensaries in the area as well, so there should be a lot of fun hustle and bustle over on Hawthorne.

Ultimately, while things are still a bit confusing on the recreational front, it will be amazingly fun to usher in October with recreational marijuana in dispensaries. Keep your ear to the ground, and pay attention to flyers all around Portland, you never know what sort of celebration you’ll find.

Options, as it turns out, are as of now in short supply, however. I was taking a look at Portland’s general dispensary map on Leafly and I noticed what I thought was a trend. There are some dispensaries letting its patients and caregivers know that they’ll be closed some days in order to prep for October, but after looking at almost all of the 142 dispensaries in the greater Portland area, I was a little surprised.

Here’s a little cheat sheet for which dispensaries will be closing for recreational prep and when:

These are all the dispensaries that mentioned October recreational sales. Only 7 outwardly say they’ll be involved in recreational, out of around 140. I was expecting to find more, but maybe dispensaries are approaching this in a word-of-mouth type way. Or maybe everyone is still unprepared for October – let’s face it, it’s going to be insane.

Dispensaries not updating their Leaflys seems like it’s not a big deal, but it’ll leave the rest of us without any clue where to turn. How many doors will we knock on to be turned away? It’s definitely good for the patients to have their dispensaries, so, dispensaries, is it unreasonable to ask for details? Right now the cannabis market is this crazy waiting-game, so sit back, relax, and – well – don’t get your hopes up just yet?

Bad news for Portland cannabis fans. As it turns out, Portland will not be having a 2015 HIGH TIMESCannabis Cup. Similarly to Hempstalk, the Cannabis Cup was continuously denied permits for locations in Portland. It’s strange, considering how much revenue the cup would bring, but apparently the largest opponent was the OLCC. No surprise there.

There are only so many venues that could host something as large as the Cannabis Cup. Amanda Younger, the Event Director for HIGH TIMES stated that “Portland-area venues that can accommodate such volume inevitably have liquor licenses. The OLCC made extremely clear that holding a Cannabis Cup at a venue with a liquor license would put that liquor license in jeopardy of being revoked, regardless of whether or not liquor would be served at the Cannabis Cup.” A continuous road-block for progress, the OLCC has been exercising the power granted by Measure 91. Which is, like, all the power – essentially the OLCC is the only government agency that has control over the cannabis industry and for some reason it’s holding Oregon back. HIGH TIMES is a huge name in the industry, and the Cannabis Cup is an international phenomenon. It’s pretty lame that Younger says that “bringing the HIGH TIMES Cannabis Cup to Oregon has proven to be a Herculean task— in fact, it’s been the most difficult of all of our Cannabis Cups to get off the ground.” So, what now?

The dates of Portland Hempstalk Harvest Festival have officially been announced: Oct. 17th – 18th. It certainly has the air of an Autumn harvest festival – but the real backlash is due to the location. To no fault of Paul Stanford or Hempstalk’s own, Tom McCall Park will once again be the host of Hempstalk. Fighting the OLCC and the Portland Police Commission was no easy task, and that seems largely not of concern to most Hempstalk attendees. It’s true, the event will be a shadow of its days at Kelly Point Park, but it seems that all these large events are met with resistance.

To HIGH TIMES, the city of Milwaukie seemed like a good alternative to metro Portland, but even that didn’t pan out. After exhaustive negotiations beginning in July this year, Younger withdrew the application for the Cannabis Cup in Milwaukie herself. She says to the city, “It has become clear to us that regardless of the amount of time we spend going back and forth on this application, the City of Milwaukie will never grant it.” Another embarrassing set-back. Hopefully Oregon and its government officials and agencies realize that legalization was a good idea, and that progress and possibilities for the state lie ahead.

Obviously rushing to sales in October meant some speed bumps ahead, but it always seemed like the benefits far outweighed the costs. However, now I’m realizing that one of these costs is clarity. In trying to update and confirm the status on October sales, I’ve come across some confusing legislature.

Senate Bill 460, the bill allowing October sales, mentions nothing about taxation during this time period. There are stipulations – for example, recreational users 21 and over, may only buy up to a quarter ounce per day (per dispensary). That’s not a bad guideline, but it turns out that there will be quite a bit of tax on this weed. Maybe?

According to oregon.gov’s FAQ page on recreational marijuana, there will be a 25% tax to pay in dispensaries. The answer to the question of taxation continues: “Recreational sales in medical dispensaries are slated to start on October 1, 2015, and end on December 31, 2016.The tax will be imposed on sales after January 4, 2016.” I had already known of this possibility of tax-free weed and believed it, but here it’s mentioned so briefly. Does this 25% tax really start as late as January, even though it says that the “tax will be 25% for the limited time that recreational marijuana will be sold in dispensaries?”

That seems so straightforward – 25% tax for recreational sold in dispensaries. This starts in October and lasts until a predicted December 31st, 2016. This is already a limited amount of time, but the “after January 4, 2016” undercuts 3 months of that. However, despite that brief mention at the end, that sentiment suggests yes, tax-free weed.

That said, dispensaries are getting ready to take advantage of this opportunity for profit. I’ve already been made aware of the fact that some dispensaries will only be showing their buyers the “bottom shelf shwag,” as we say. Thousands of people who have never seen something like a dispensary will have this skewed perception of bud, and be paying extra for it. Not to mention, there will be a limit to only “4 units” of non-flower marijuana product. You can only buy seeds, flower, and clones (a marijuana plant that is not flowering). No concentrates, no edibles or drinkables, just cold, dry, flower.

Just kidding – it’s really not that bad, but once January hits, that 25% will be rough. When there’s no overlap of recreational retail stores, still predicted for open in July, 2016, it’ll be especially bad. When those retail stores open, the taxes will be around 17-20%, much less than the dispensary prices. But I’m predicting that right around May, all the dispensaries will start showing off, to keep the recreational crew coming. December 31st, 2016 marks the end of recreational sale in dispensaries, so they’ll have to use these upcoming months wisely. Keep an eye out for that bottom shelf, and growing your own is still the best way!

Hempstalk in Portland, long before legalization, has always been a way for like-minded cannabis enthusiasts to gather in a large and safe setting. The first year I attended, it was hosted at Kelly Point Park. It was a fantastic celebration – vendors of all varieties, stages with all sorts of presenters and music, and hordes of happy people. Then, last year in 2014, Hempstalk in Portland was moved to Tom McCall Park, on the waterfront.

Saying it paled in comparison is an understatement. Being so out in the open yes, got rid of the public smoking, but also got rid of that sense of safety. All of a sudden, us hemp fans were feeling vulnerable, despite being at an event totally for us. Where my friends and I had spent all day at Kelly Point Park, we spent barely two and a half hours at the Tom McCall Park. We walked through all the vendors (it felt like a fraction of the amount at Kelly Point Park) in single lap, and felt like there was no other reason to be there.

Photo Credit: Hempstalk

After such a different Hempstalk last year, and legalization of weed this year, you’d think that Portland would jump on the opportunity to host a much better Hempstalk and bring in some revenue. Waterfront or not, it’s still Hempstalk, and if you build it people will still come. The city of Portland, however, had other plans. City officials were most certainly affected by the passing of Measure 91, and went ahead and denied the permit for the waterfront when Hempstalk applied for it in November. It wasn’t happening at the waterfront, or anywhere else for that matter, and that was the last bit of Hempstalk news for the majority of this past year.

That is, until the 28th of this month, when Hempstalk’s permit denial appeal took place! Paul Stanford, Hempstalk’s organizer, has been fighting tooth and nail for a permit. This whole summer I’ve been operating under the assumption that no, despite the waves Portland is making in the marijuana world, we would not have our annual Hempstalk festival. Pretty heartbreaking, even moreso anti-climactic! But have no fear! The mayor of our fine city of Portland has established that Hempstalk in 2015 will be on! Much to stoner chagrin, it will still be hosted at the waterfront, but hey, at least it’s on. For Portland to not host a Hempstalk after its year of legalization would be both a slap in the face to the cannabis industry but also pretty embarrassing for the city.

The city commissioners agreed this time around, voting 3 to 1. With one commissioner absent, the only opposition was from commissioner Amanda Fritz, who also coincidentally oversees the Portland Police Bureau. Cough. With statements from Hempstalk organizers that they will be devoted to working with city officials, the city council appealed. Stanford assures that “this is not a smoke-out. Our event is about the use of hemp for fuel, fiber, food, the use of adults for social situations, and as medicine.” This year’s Hempstalk will be an invaluable experience, for now not only is it rising from the ashes like a Phoenix, but it will have months of legalization behind it. Smoking will still obviously be a big no-no, but the 21+ possibilities are endless. Every new person you meet will be a new person to trade with or gift to, not to mention all the private smoking that can legally happen after the event. So, yeah, even though it’s still at the waterfront, you bet I’m going! And I’ll see you hemp fans there.

It’s hard to believe September is almost here; that back-to-school dread is in the air again, and the kids are feeling it! But not us 21+ year olds… While supermarkets and shopping centers gear up for Halloween and Thanksgiving, thousands of hopefuls are preparing for recreational marijuana in Portland. We still aren’t exactly sure which dispensaries are opening up for recreational sale, but Portland has plenty to choose from, and everyone has a favorite! Based on years of experience (sorry, mom), I can tell you which of mine I’m hoping to walk into in October.

Nectar is kind of like your “every man’s” dispensary. It’s well-known in Portland due to the fact that there are 4 locations spread across the quadrants. There’s often a large menu selection, and good bud at a nice varying price range. I have never heard any complaints of budtenders or customer service in general; with Nectar you know what you’re getting. They’re especially good at updating their Leafly (links to NE 122nd location). This dispensary would be perfect for those first-timers or people getting back into the game after years of prohibition.

Natural RxEmedies, located in SW Portland, has impeccable customer service. For first time customers, they always offer some sort of discount or treat. For the flower fans out there, they have a large selection specializing in nice quality to top-shelf bud. In terms of concentrates, what they lack in variety, they make up for in affordability and quality. Another good place for curious first-timers, but also seasoned veterans. Their Leafly can be found here, and is as helpful as they are!

In NE Portland, Uplift Botanicals is a premier little spot at 33rd and Killingsworth. Here is their Leafly, and as a fan of all things concentrate, I can say that their selection is one of the best out there. You can find grams of oil at all sorts of prices, ranging from fairly priced to top-shelf stuff. First-timers are more than welcome at Uplift (they have a great staff with awesome customer service) but the stock is catered to those top-shelf fans. For that reason, their deals on flower sometimes aren’t the best, but you know you’re getting high-quality bud.

AmeriCanna Rx is a 24/7 dispensary. It’s on NE Sandy Blvd, and has plenty of flower to choose from. There you can find bottom jar grams sometimes as low as $3. Crazy, right? Not to mention their hours being 24/7 and their Leafly menu being regularly updated – they’re the perfect late night stop. This is a popular pot destination in Portland, however, and sometimes you may have to wait a bit for budtending.

Marijuana Paradise right off Barbur Blvd in SW is an up-and-coming dispensary. With a nice selection of oil at reasonable prices, this place is a little oasis. What’s really worth writing home about, however? Their selection of edibles. For those of us who don’t have medical cards, we’ve been missing out on insane medibles all these years. It’s all about the milligrams, baby! Whether you’re a fan of drinkables or edibles, this place has it all at ranging prices and milligram measurements.

October, man. It’s so close we can almost taste it. It’s like waiting to feel like a kid in a candy shop, and the anticipation is driving us wild! Those dispensaries above are just some of the “many” (hundreds) in Portland to choose from, and while I may sit here hoping that they open for recreational sale, they may continue to just sell to medical patients. And that’s okay, because what we do know? Is that recreational pot is happening in Portland, and it’s happening in mere weeks.

With Oregon’s passing of recreational sale for October, big things are on the horizon. The period of tax-free weed will be from October to whenever the first store opens. You will be limited in the amount that you can buy per visit, as they have to regulate these sales. Come July, or whenever the first store opens, weed will be taxed 25%, so the goal is to stock up.

This is made easier by the sheer amount of dispensaries in the Portland area. It is still unknown as to which are opening up recreationally for sure, but most seem to be planning on it and are preparing for that influx of sales. This influx of sales, however, will be spread out across literally hundreds of locations, and dispensaries need to stand out. Despite donating samples to awesome events like Franco’s Fun Bus or Marijuana Mondays at the Analog, dispensaries and vendors can impress with features such as a delivery service. According to weedmaps.com, there is only a handful of delivery-only medical suppliers. There are a few more in the Portland area that are not listed on weedmaps (which allows you to use search filters), but the first question on everyone’s minds is “will they sell recreationally?” Just as it applies to retail dispensaries, it applies to delivery-only dispensaries.

There are two things should happen, as a result of this question (which the answer to is most likely, yes, by the way). The first thing that should happen is that more dispensaries should offer a Portland weed delivery service in general. So many patients could benefit from it – the traffic alone in Portland can throw off someone’s ability to get their medications. The second is that those dispensaries should turn around and deliver recreationally once October hits. It would allow for more people to stay off the highways, lessening by a little the traffic problem of which we’re all a part. This would be particularly helpful during the upcoming recreational period when the stores themselves are chaos. At least with a delivery experience, it’s more one on one, rather than feeling someone breathing down your neck waiting for you to finish with the budtender. Delivery is a good opportunity to wow with customer service, and really establish the fan base that is needed to survive the next year.

Imagine opening your door to an experienced budtender and a briefcase full of marijuana products. That will be possible at the rate we’re going. You’ll be free to do things like ask your expert all the questions you’re maybe too nervous to ask either a dealer or a budtender in a store full of people. You can take your time with your deal (to an extent) in the comfort of your own home. Then you can consume immediately and enjoy the effects of your purchases without having to get back anywhere. So what’s the verdict? OMMP Card Holders: tell your favorite dispensary to deliver!

The thing about Portland is that it exceeds expectations. People come here for tasty food and get more options than they could have ever imagined in response. People come to here to find like-minded friends and find all the niche communities they need. Now that recreational marijuana is legal in Portland, people will be coming here to experience the recreational market. It’s only been one and a half months, and again Portland is exceeding expectations. Smoking marijuana is finally embraced as legal, and the city is celebrating!

The World Famous Cannabis Cafe has reopened in a new location to offer recreational smokers a home away from home. It initially opened in 2009 as a place for medical patients to gather and partake in their medicating socially. The World Famous Cannabis Cafe reopened its doors on July 31st, and has since been scheduling events like concerts and jazz jams. The cafe is now located at 7958 SE Foster RD, Portland, Oregon 97206. Check their events page for updates!

Franco’s Fun Bus, a recreational dabbing experience, is ramping up for its third outing. The bus will be driving out to Mt. Hood Adventureland for a day full of dabbing, yoga, hiking, and adventuring (entirely optional). Franco and his crew are keeping it fresh for dabbers by providing different things to look forward to – in this case physical activity! Again, every participant will receive a swag bag of samples at the end of the night, curated by Franco himself.

Similarly to the World Famous Cannabis Cafe, “The Other Spot” is a cannabis lounge in Portland. Located on 5431 SE 72nd Ave, The Other Spot is just that, another place to enjoy yourself recreationally! So far there are river floats and chili cook-offs scheduled, as well as movies nights here and there. Sounds like a blast, right? The best part is you can partake in marijuana consumption within the building!

At the Analog Cafe and Theater, you cannot consume marijuana products on site, but they still show love to us weed-smokers. So far since legalization, the Analog has been having “Marijuana Mondays!” Besides hosting amazing musical, socially-charged, and theatrical individuals, Marijuana Mondays are also the source of more free weed-gifting in the Portland area. The Analog Cafe and Theater is located on 720 SE Hawthorne Blvd., and while consumption is illegal, the night is full of stoner-oriented activities.

The World Famous Cannabis Cafe, Franco’s Fun Bus, The Other Spot, and the Analog Cafe and Theater, are just four recreational opportunities in Portland available for those 21 and up. Local dispensaries and suppliers know that these events are the way to advertise to smokers right now. It’s no surprise that they’re hooking us up in unimaginable ways. By getting on our good sides now, these businesses hope to gain enough of a fan-base to survive the next couple years. Already there’s a dispensary on every other street, and these shops will have to outlast one another. Supplying events and recreational smokers with samples is a great way to get their name out. Thank you to those contributors, but moreso to the platforms (like the four above) for recreational smoking that are popping up. It will all push this market further towards profit, and in return further towards Federal legalization.